Old man tug of war squid game

Q: Was the old man attached to the rope in Squid Game?

One TikTok user highlighted a major clue to Oh Il-nams real identity during the game of Tug of War in Episode 4. As well as having a detailed strategy on how to win, Il-nams shackles are different to his teammates. Following their victory, the team lay on the floor of the platform, still attached to the rope.

Q: Who won the tug of war in Squid Game?

Because of error, its unknown which team won the game or lost the game. But Team 8 included Player 453, 187 and 005 who survived Tug of War, and Team 6s member Player 092 was seen teaming with Player 069, who survived Tug of War, before game has started.

Eagle-eyed viewers of Netflix's runaway success series Squid Game have spotted something in the tug-of-war game that they think is particularly significant to the ending. You can see what they think they've discovered in the video below:

Table of Contents Show

Was the old man attached to the rope in Squid Game?
What was the old man's point in Squid Game?
Who won the tug of war in Squid Game?

Oh, and it goes without saying that there are ABSOLUTELY LOADS OF SERIOUS SPOILERS from here on out, so only read on if you're up-to-date with the show, or just don't care about finding out some key things about it.

Right, now that everyone who doesn't want to know has gone - last chance, by the way - let's get onto it.

As we all know, the smash hit South Korean show sees cash-strapped people pitted against one another in various seemingly-harmless games, except - of course - they aren't.

In fact, they're exactly the opposite of that, and loads of people die in some pretty horrible ways.

Well, in episode four, one of those games is the classic tug of war.

The Squid Game tug of war. Credit: Netflix

The players must form teams of 10 people over the course of 10 minutes, before squaring off against one another.

On one team, there's a dude who is identified as Player 001. He's an old guy, and - well - it turns out at the end of the show that this isn't the first time he's seen this game played before.

Before the show, he claims that he played the game a lot as a child, and used a particular strategy to make sure that he never lost.

As the game prepares to start, everyone is padlocked to the rope, securing them to their death should they lose.

Well, everybody but one person, that is.

Everyone but one has padlocks on their cuff. Credit: Netflix

Player 001 is the only one without a padlock on his cuffs, meaning that he could have escaped should his team not have prevailed.

In the final episode, we learn that he is a billionaire and the creator of the game, which is foreshadowed throughout the show, but particularly in this part.

He's Player 001, for starters.

Oh Il-Nam, as he's actually called, has a brain tumour and just wants to play the game instead of waiting around to die.

Curse you, old man! Credit: Netflix

People are just starting to clock onto this as the details are being shared online, and it's seriously got under some people's skin.

One said: "Me who wasted tears for that old man."

Another said: "Old man is behind everything."

Well, now you know. Never trust an old man who seems to be getting some sort of nostalgic joy out of playing a game where loads of people are getting brutally killed.

Of all the games in Squid Game, the tug of war appeared legitimate, but the show's final twist revealed things weren't what they seemed. In Netflix's Squid Game, several players participate in a series of children's games for millions of dollars. However, the games have deadly consequences. If a player loses or fails at a game, they die. And through nine episodes, Squid Game eliminated more than 450 players until Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) was the only true player remaining. However, the series also hid a twist.

In a Squid Game finale twist, the series revealed that the Old Man/Oh Il-nam (Oh Yeong-su) survived the games too. Gi-hun and Il-nam became friends during the games, with the former looking out for the older man in the deadly contest. Amid the dangerous late-night fights, Gi-hun looked out for Il-nam, and the pair were even on the same team for the tug of war. Gi-hun eventually believes Il-nam gives up his life during a marble game, allowing Gi-hun to carry on instead. However, the finale shows Il-nam survived the whole time. The Old Man was secretly one of the game's architects, and his life was never in danger.

The final twist that Il-nam was behind the games shows that the tug of war was likely rigged. In Squid Game episode 4, the players decide on teams in an unknown game that turns out to be the tug of war. Two teams stand on high platforms and try to pull their opponents off the platform and to their deaths. Gi-hun and Il-nam's tug of war team consists of several weaker players, so they are sorely outmatched against their opponents, a team full of men. Thanks to a strategy from Il-nam and some heroic last-second efforts by Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-Soo), Gi-hun's team wins. But there may have been more at play behind the scenes.

A Tug of War game on two ledges in Squid Game

Il-nam was never in any real danger in the games. As an architect of the deadly contest, he controlled everything and got a free pass several times. In the first game, a bizarre version of Red Light/Green Light where players died if a giant robot caught them moving, Il-nam wasn't killed despite moving a bit after he was supposed to freeze. Then, in the marble game from Squid Game episode 6, he loses but doesn't die like the other players. While playing tug of war, Il-nam had a strategy that helped his team early on; however, the plan eventually fails when the other team briefly gains control. Sang-woo ultimately helps the team win by making the opposing team trip. However, since Il-nam was on their team, they were likely guaranteed victory no matter what.

It's unknown how exactly Il-nam rigged tug of war, but there are options. After a team lost, a blade came down to cut the rope, which guaranteed death for the opposing team. Since Il-nam's secret twist ensured his safety, it's interesting that he was towards the back of the rope for his team. The blade could've come down early if it had to, sparing his life while other members of his team fell. In addition, two guards stood behind each tug of war team as they competed. If things looked dire, the guards could've intervened. Regardless, Il-nam was never truly at the end of his rope in Squid Game.

More: There Was A Secret Twist You Missed In Squid Game - Theory Explained

Was the old man attached to the rope in Squid Game?

One TikTok user highlighted a major clue to Oh Il-nam's real identity during the game of Tug of War in Episode 4. As well as having a detailed strategy on how to win, Il-nam's shackles are different to his teammates. Following their victory, the team lay on the floor of the platform, still attached to the rope.

What was the old man's point in Squid Game?

The character reveals that he is extremely rich and at was at a point in his life where he was bored. Having everything he wanted didn't leave him happy and so he created the game to have some “fun”.

Who won the tug of war in Squid Game?

Because of error, it's unknown which team won the game or lost the game. But Team 8 included Player 453, 187 and 005 who survived Tug of War, and Team 6's member Player 092 was seen teaming with Player 069, who survived Tug of War, before game has started.